An Unexpected Reunion
by lancer365
Summary: Suyin takes Kuvira with her to the Fire Nation and is confronted with a very unexpected reunion (bad summary...Sorry)...CHAPTER 3 UP
1. The Fire Nation

**An Unexpected Reunion**

Kuvira sat in the guard house; her feet propped up on the table as she listened to the conversations of the other guards. She was still tired after only getting about 2 hours of sleep; she never slept well. Actually, that was a lie; she did when she was with Suyin. Leaning her head back, the conversations around her died away as she closed her eyes and let her mind wander.

"Hey, are you on shift tonight?"

Kuvira sighed. And just like that her serenity was broken. Yun, one of the other guards and a friend had walked up to her, her mouth full of food. Rubbing the temples of her forehead, Kuvira looked up in annoyance. What would it take to get some peace and quiet?

"No, not tonight…" she said. "and I plan on getting some rest." she quickly added, sensing that Yun had wanted her to do something with her.

"Aw, you're no fun" Yun said sitting down. "Come on" She continued, tugging Kuvira back and forth. "You're only ever with Suyin…and then when you do get time off your sleeping."

"Well I'm tired…I can't help it." Kuvira said with a smile.

The noise of the guardhouse died suddenly alerting both guards.

"What's going on?" Kuvira asked

"I don't know, I'm trying to see" Yun said standing up as her eyes searched the front of the room to see everyone standing at attention. Then her eyes set on the figure of Suyin. It was rare for her to make appearances at the guard house during the day; something must have been important.

"At ease, I just came to speak with Kuvira." After looking around for a moment Suyin asked "Where is she?"

Yun didn't hear the whole conversation, but she did hear Suyin say Kuvira's name; that was enough for her. Out of Suyin's sight, she looked down and nudged the guard who had gone back to closing her eyes.

"Guess who personally stopped by _just_ to see you?" Yun said jokingly with a suggestive smirk on her face. Kuvira opened her eyes and nudged her back with a grunt; she didn't need to ask who it was. Yun laughed as Kuvira slowly stood to see Suyin approaching her. With glazed eyes she watched Suyin get closer and closer. How beautiful was this woman? Just the sight of her always made her heart run a mile. All those clothes hid so much of Suyin's true beauty; and she triumphed in the thought that only she knew how beautiful Suyin was under them. Well, her and Bataar Sr.…but Kuvira didn't want to think about that.

Lost in her daydream, she barely had time to react as her helmet came flying towards her.

"Here" Suyin said with a smile as she watched Kuvira fumble with the helmet before gripping it firmly. The guard had raised her eyebrow silently asking for Suyin to elaborate. "I want you to come with me to the Fire Nation, I'm going to meet the Firelord." Suyin said.

Kuvira shifted her eyes downward. "You might want to pick somebody else for this one."

The guards, who had seemingly gone back to their own conversations, got quieter; trying to pick up as much as they could without being obvious.

"Don't make this an order Kuvira." Suyin said, her voice commanding her to go, but her eyes pleading for her to go.

Kuvira sighed as she gave up and followed Suyin out of the room, feeling multiple eyes of confusion resting on them.

In silence, they made their way through the courtyard. Kuvira, watching as Wei and Wing sparred while Opal sat and read under a tree, thought about the pain her relationship with Suyin would bring, if they ever found out.

"Hey, where are you off too?"An all too familiar deep voice sent chills of jealousy through Kuvira as she turned to see Bataar approaching. He grabbed Suyin, kissing her lightly in the process. Averting her eyes, Kuvira listened as Suyin spoke.

"I-I'm about to go see the Firelord." Suyin said as her mouth turned up into an awkward fake smile. She knew Kuvira had seen that display of affection and didn't need to guess how the guard was feeling in that moment.

"How long are you going to be gone?" Bataar's voice cut through her thoughts of the guard.

"I don't know yet…but, I'll radio in if I end up staying overnight." She said, placing a hand on his chest.

"OK, be safe." He smiled as he turned and walked in the opposite direction.

Suyin turned her head to look at Kuvira. Seeing the guards eyes set in a passive expression, she decided it was best not to talk about what had just happened. "Let's go." Kuvira slowly nodded her head and followed Suyin over to where the airships were.

"You ready to go" one of the pilots shouted from the cockpit as they boarded the airship.

"Yes" Suyin said walking into the cockpit. "Make sure to let me know when we get close…I think the Firelord would love a heads up." She smiled and looked out of the room to watch Kuvira sit down and close her eyes.

'_She must be tired' _

Suyin walked out of the room, closing the door as the airship started to lift off the ground. She headed to the war room to get the documents she had planned to finish. Bringing a stack of papers out, she set them on the table in front of Kuvira, allowing her eyes to gaze over the guard falling asleep. With a smile on her face, she sat down next the guard. Kuvira's eyes opened as she felt the presence of a body next to her.

"What-" She sat up straight, still dazed in sleep.

Suyin turned her head away from the papers she had put in her lap, to look at the guard. "Get some sleep; we won't be there for a while." She said, pushing Kuvira back down with her hand.

* * *

><p>Hours went by as Suyin tirelessly worked through trade agreements and other documents. She had only gotten up a few times to stretch her legs and take a break. By now, Kuvira was fully asleep and the final time Suyin sat down she pulled the guard from her rigid sitting position, resting Kuvira's head in her lap. Letting her fingers rake through the guard's hair, she distracted herself from her work as she listened to the soft snores.<p>

"Ma'am, we're here…or getting close." The pilot said over the loud speaker. Suyin gently pushed herself out from underneath the guard as she moved down to the far end of the room opening the cockpit door.

"Ok, radio the head guard and tell them I'm here." Suyin said gazing through the large windows to the ground below.

"Will do."

Suyin wanted to laugh when she came back only to find Kuvira sleeping face down with an arm draping over the side of the couch. _'Spirits, she really was tired'_

But now came the unfortunate task of waking her up. Suyin walked over and sat back down resuming her previous position.

"Hey, we'll be landing soon." She said using her hand to gently shake Kuvira awake. The guard groaned opening and closing her eyes a few times before fully re-entering reality. She felt a hand stroking her cheek as she looked up to see Suyin's face looking back at her. Why couldn't she wake up like this every day? She thought before hearing Suyin speak.

"Welcome back." Suyin smiled as she continued "You should go get cleaned up, we'll be landing soon."

Kuvira put a hand on Suyin's face before getting up to head towards the bathroom. With a sigh she watched Kuvira leave; these were the moments she cherished the most, and she always wished for more of them.

"We're here ma'am."

The loud speaker jarred Suyin from her thoughts as she stood and picked up Kuvira's helmet, before heading towards the main area. Walking out, she saw the guard emerging from the bathroom looking more rested than she had before.

"Ready to go?" Suyin said, once again tossing Kuvira her helmet; this time the guard caught it with an iron grip.

"Yeah," Kuvira said putting it on.

"I already lowered the door down, so you guys are good to go." The pilot said as they both made their way further into the main area.

"Thanks, for getting us here." Suyin said looking at the pilot with a genuine smile before descending the steps, Kuvira following closely behind her.

Taking in the scenery around her, Suyin walked over to the young man waiting by a Satomobile. Even in the fire nation where two earthbenders stuck out like sore thumbs; she wasn't surprised to see a Satomobile.

"Welcome to the Fire Nation, I'm Wong" The young man said with a bow. He was a nervous looking scrawny young man, maybe in his 20's. Hastily running to the backseat door, he opened it with a smile.

"Nice to meet you Wong," Suyin said with a polite nod; Kuvira doing the same after her. "Well practiced greeting…does the Firelord tell you to say that to everybody who arrives?" Suyin added with a smug look.

"Yes, she does."

"Well, that sounds like Izumi for you." Laughing, Suyin got into the back seat along with Kuvira. As the drive went on, Suyin made small talk with the young man, easing his nerves. Kuvira had resorted to staring out at the passing buildings with her chin resting on her hand. Time had changed so many things since her childhood. Dirt roads had turned into paved ones, and places where small houses once stood were now replaced by buildings that scraped the surface of the sky. However, the fire nation may have looked different, but it still smelled and felt the same. She hated being here; it brought back too many memories.

Suyin leaned back in the seat and looked over to Kuvira gazing out of the window with a spiteful look on her face.

"What is it?" she asked, placing a hand on Kuvira's thigh. The angry look slightly dissipated but it wasn't gone.

Kuvira looked over to Suyin "What is what?"

"Why do you look so angry?" Kuvira opened her mouth, but closed it as she formulated what to say. The only reason she was here was because Suyin wanted her to be; she would have never come on her own. The prolonged silence concerned Suyin as she gave Kuvira's thigh a squeeze, gaining the guards attention once more.

"Sorry" She looked over to meet Suyin's eyes staring back at her with concern. "Don't worry, it's nothing."

"You wouldn't look like that if it was nothing..." Suyin said as Kuvira turned her head to look straight ahead. "…So-"

"We're here" At the young man's voice Suyin hastily pulled her hand off of Kuvira. It didn't matter where they were; people still knew who she was. To start a scandal, even so far away from home would've been a bad idea.

Thankful for the interruption, Kuvira closed her eyes; she didn't want to talk about any of it, and it would have been hard to say no to Suyin. She only wanted to do her job and then get back to the Earth Kingdom as quickly as possible.

The Satomobile came to a stop in the vast palace courtyard, and the man quickly got out opening the door for Suyin.

"If you'll follow me I'll take you to the Firelord." the man said pushing his glasses up at the bridge of his nose as he began to lead them through the courtyard.

* * *

><p>The palace was still as beautiful as Suyin remembered it. She and Lin used to come here as children and play with Izumi, while Toph talked to Zuko. But now, Izumi had taken the throne of Firelord after her father, and the Fire nation did nothing but thrive under her reign. Even through their duties as world leaders, Suyin had always managed to stay in touch with her. They would write letters back and forth like kids passing notes in a class; and through those letters came some of the most intimate details of their lives. They talked about everything from family to politics.<p>

But today, Suyin had a different secret she wanted to tell; one that she would never send in a letter. Although she loved Kuvira, she never realized it would be this difficult to keep a relationship hidden. Sure, she had succeeded in keeping some of her relationships secret when she was younger; but it wasn't the same with Kuvira. This un-releasable forbidden love was becoming harder and harder to hide; and as a result, was weighing heavy on Suyin's mind. It was time for her to tell somebody, and Izumi was the only one she trusted.

The sound of the large ornate palace doors opening brought Suyin from her thoughts, as the man lead them into the inner chamber where the Firelord sat waiting, with guards placed at every edge of the room.

"Firelord, the guests have arrived." He said bowing as the Firelord got up from her place, approaching them.

"Thank you, you may go." The man left as the Firelord stopped mid-step to turn around, and with a commanding voice she addressed the other guards in the room, "Actually, you may all go."

"But Firelord tha-" Swiftly she raised her hand, halting the protesting guard.

"No, don't worry about it…Sara will be here soon anyways." At that name Kuvira's stomach dropped. All she wanted to do now was leave as fast as possible.

The Firelord watched and waited for every last guard to leave, before turning back around to walk towards Suyin. Once she made her way to them she opened her arms before hugging the other woman.

"How long has it been?" The Firelord said as she broke the hug, grabbing Suyin by the shoulders.

"Too long." Suyin said, a smile growing wide on her face. It had been years since they met in person. And although time had changed their appearances, they still remembered each other as the trouble makers who used to pull pranks around the palace.

"Suyin, would you like for me to wait outside?" Kuvira asked, sensing the personal nature of the meeting. Suyin looked over to Izumi silently asking for her opinion.

"I don't mind, you're both guests here...it's up to you." Izumi said shifting her eyes between both Kuvira and Suyin.

Suyin looked over to Kuvira "No, I want you to stay with me" that added 'with me' didn't go un-noticed by the Firelord and she looked between the two. There was something else that colored Suyin tone as she spoke to her guard…it was a way in which she would never speak to any of her guards; but for now, she let it pass.

"Well there's no use in standing" Izumi said as she moved back over to the sitting area, motioning for them to follow. "Come and sit."

Following the Firelord, Suyin sat down while Kuvira took her helmet off and stood directly behind her. Izumi looked up at Kuvira…there was something about that face that she recognized.

"How have you been?" Suyin started, quickly tearing the Firelord's attention away from Kuvira.

"Good…or decent at least, you've read about most of it in my letters." The Firelord rubbed her forehead before she continued, "Sometimes I wish I wasn't the Firelord." She smiled as her eyes drifted back up towards Kuvira. What was it about her that she recognized? It was probably nothing and not worth dwelling on, but she couldn't help but stare for a few moments more. "Your turn, how have you been?" she asked looking down at Suyin. "How's the family?"

"They're good, Op-"

Suyin was interrupted by the sudden forceful opening of the main doors. She turned her head to watch a woman walk in with a piece of paper in her hand. She looked back over to Firelord who didn't seem the slightest bit phased.

"Sara, what have I told you about barging in here that?"

"Ah suck it up, it's not like you're having sex in here or anything." The woman's deep voice held a dark yet playful tone as she gave an evil looking grin. Suyin was taken aback by how the Firelord allowed this woman talk to her. "Here, I just got back from the eastside town" the woman spoke, handing the paper to the Firelord, completely oblivious to the company around her. "What you asked of me has been done, I got them to sign it…it took some _persuasion_, but they got the message." She said with a sadistic tone filling her voice.

"Good." The Firelord said placing the paper on the table.

Too lost in their thoughts of moment, nobody noticed the shocked look that had passed over Kuvira's face as her eyes went wide, before she dropped her head down to the floor, avoiding eye contact.

Sara looked around the room before her eyes set on Suyin and the guard above her.

"So who are these people?" She sat down next to Firelord, placing the long object from her belt on the table.

"This is Suyin Beifong and her guard; they came from Zaofu earlier this morning."

"Well my apologies, I didn't know you were having such esteemed guests today." Sara said with a smirk on her face. The woman's red eyes shifted to look at Suyin, instantly making her feel unease. Hell had been imprinted in those eyes looking back at her, set in a permanent glare. There was something dark about this woman and Suyin didn't like it. Breaking her eyes away from the woman, Suyin remembered her reason for coming to see the Firelord in person. Although it wasn't her only reason, it was still important.

"Actually, I _would_ like to speak with you in private." She said leaning in slightly towards the Firelord.

At this Izumi looked up from the paper she had picked up off the table. "Okay." She said, looking at the other women occupying the room. She could feel tension seeping into the room, as she looked up to Suyin's guard who had turned her head towards the doorway with a hateful look set on her face. "Come on." She stood up and made her way to the door before Suyin. Turning back, she watched Suyin stop in front of the guard, whispering words to her only she could hear.

The Firelord watched, intrigued, until Kuvira's eyes briefly locked with her own. Shifting her gaze, she looked over to Sara who had also been watching the whole display. Something was different about Suyin's relationship with this guard, and Izumi awkwardly felt like she was peering into the personal business between two lovers.

Suyin left Kuvira's side, letting her hand linger on the guard's shoulder before following Izumi out.

They silently made their way down the hall; the Firelord walking with slowly measured regal steps as she clasped her hands behind her back. Izumi had definitely grown up from the rowdy kid she used to be, and so had Suyin….more or less.

"Are you that personable with all your guards?" Izumi asked as they came into an office.

Suyin didn't immediately answer as she glanced around the office with her back to the Firelord. There were stacks of papers piled high on the wooden desk she remembered seeing Zuko sit at. The room was a sight to behold in itself, decorated in the fire nation colors of deep reds and golds. "No just her." She answered, her words running out before she could think. Realizing the mistake, her eyes darted around the room as she silently hoped the other woman hadn't picked up the hidden meaning behind them.

Izumi threw another questioning look Suyin's way before closing the door to her office. She moved over to the table where fresh tea had been placed. The servants knew she liked tea hourly, and would always put a fresh batch on the table where she did most of her work. Picking up a cup she sat down, taking the first sip.

"Are you going to sit down?" She said slowly taking another sip as she watched Suyin exhale.

"I don't know if I can." She said before letting out another breath. _'I have to get this out;I can trust her'_ After her thought, she finally turned to face the Firelord. "I have something I want to tell you."

**Authors note: **

**So yeah it was long (sorry). But this was just something that came to me literally at 3:30 in the morning a few days . Otherwise, I know it's not completely canon…but that's what fanfiction is. lol . If you liked it, tell me, and I'll post the second part. Happy Korra Day (Friday) by the way ;)**


	2. What's the Secret?

_Previously:_

'_I have to get this out;I can trust her' After her thought, she finally turned to face the Firelord. "I have something I want to tell you."_

**An Unexpected Reunion-Part 2**

The Firelord watched with an inquisitive look as her best friend slowly paced around the room. She hadn't seen Suyin this worked up in years. "Well what is it?" she finally asked, adjusting her glasses as her head followed the pacing woman back and forth. Suyin didn't answer, still lost in her debating thoughts.

"I just can't hold this in anymore." Suyin whispered to herself before turning to see the Firelord staring at her with a confused look.

"Ok, I'm going to tell you something that I probably shouldn't even bring up, but it's just too much to handle, and-"

"You're rambling Suyin." The Firelord said as she smiled looking down into her tea. "Just calm down, this secret can't be the end of the world; we've shared some pretty bad ones before." Izumi laughed, looking back up at Suyin. "Sit down."

"Actually, this one might be the end of the world…" Suyin sat down in front of the Firelord and added, "…Well the end of my world at least."

"Now you're stalling." Izumi smiled as she brought the tea cup up to her lips.

After a long exhale followed by silence, Suyin figured it was now or never.

"Ok, I'll tell you; but don't yell at me about it." She said pointing a finger playfully at the Firelord.

The Firelord laughed again as she brought a hand up in mock defense. "OK, OK…I won't; but now I really want to know what this is all about." She took a sip of tea as she looked over to Suyin who was still silent. It was clear that she was going to have to pull this out of the other woman. "What is it? Are you…having an affair?" The Firelord asked trying to guess as well as she could; but seeing Suyin tense up answered her question.

Suyin hesitated for a minute, frozen in shock by how quickly Izumi had guessed what it was. The only response she could give was a nod as she nervously played with her fingers.

"Oh..." The Firelord paused, letting the information sink in. "How long has it been going on?"

"Almost two years." Suyin looked down, dreading the fact that they were getting closer and closer to the _real_ secret.

"TWO YEARS?" The Firelord said, stunned at her best friend's revelation. "Well, it's kind of hard to call it an affair Suyin if it's been going on for two years."

"Almost two years." Suyin softly corrected her, trying to regain some of her dignity.

"Suyin, the word 'years' is enough." Izumi chuckled trying to lighten the mood. "I'd classify it as a relationship by now." Pausing, the Firelord took another sip of the tea she had forgotten. "So…who is he?"

Suyin cleared her throat at that question…here it came, the big reveal. After taking another deep breath she gathered her courage and spoke. "Well…_she_ is currently in the other room."

She cautiously looked up at the Firelord, gauging her reaction. The Firelord stared at the table in front of her as she very slowly lowered her cup, swallowing the mouthful of tea she hadn't realized she was holding. She knew it…the way Suyin interacted with that guard was too personal and definitely crossed the line between boss and employee. Finally, she mustered up the words to speak.

"What?" she said quietly. "You mean the guard that you came with?" Her eyes blinking a few times in disbelief; she couldn't even look at Suyin.

"Yes…"

Suyin watched the Firelord's face switch through a myriad of different emotions, in an attempt to grasp the disbelief and rationalize it.

"O.K." The Firelord said slowly, as she opened and closed her jaw multiple times, trying to find her words. "It might have been a little different had you told me she was your long lost daughter or something…"

The word 'daughter' was like a stab in the chest to Suyin, and only increased the matriarch's unease as she moved her head, gazing over to the far end of the office. _'Maybe this wasn't a good idea'_ But her doubts were useless now; she had already come too far.

"…But Lover…" Izumi closed her eyes tight, shaking her head from side to side as she struggled to find the right words to say. "…WHAT?" The Firelord said raising her voice; now it had sunk in. "You're kidding me, right?"

"Sssh!" Suyin frantically looked to the door as she quieted the Firelord. "We don't need the whole palace to hear you…and no, I'm not."

"Sorry, I just….WHAT?" Izumi finally looked at Suyin with shock still in her eyes "Oh Spirits Su, you're a married mother of 5."

"I know."

"Not only is she much younger than you…but a woman?" The Firelord raised her eyebrows as she looked at Suyin. Izumi knew she wasn't being the most supportive friend; but it was hard to reel in her disbelief. Sure, Suyin had always been the risk-taker with a wild side in their friendship while she was a lot more conservative, but this…she didn't expect. "I mean, I'm not trying to be judgmental; I'm just trying to wrap my mind around all this."

"Yeah, I understand." Suyin said meeting her friend's eyes before shifting them away as she dropped her head into her hands, running her fingers through her hair. "Sometimes, I don't even know what I'm doing."

"This isn't some mid-life crisis is it?"

"No." Suyin said letting a short laugh escape as she looked back up. "But believe me, that's the scariest part."

Izumi gave her an odd look after her last statement, begging for her to explain.

"I really like her…and that hasn't been easy for me to deal with." Suyin said getting up to walk over to the window. It was ironic to her, that Izumi seemed more bothered by the age difference than the fact that Kuvira was a woman. "My oldest son is closer to her age."

The Firelord watched Suyin as her shock died away, turning into concern. This was bigger than anything they had told one another before, and she knew her friend needed her in these moments. "I didn't catch what her name was when you came in."

"It's Kuvira." Suyin replied, looking out the window.

"So, what does _Kuvira_ think about all this?" Izumi asked as she got up to walk over to Suyin.

"I don't really know…we never talk about it."

The Fire Lord turned to watch as the evening sun profiled Suyin's face. "So in other words, your relationship with her is very…in the moment."

"I guess you could say that." Suyin paused, watching the sun begin to set. _'Yeah, in the moment, that was a good way to describe it'_. She and Kuvira never talked about the future…for fear it wouldn't come. Making empty promises they couldn't keep would only hurt more in the end.

Kuvira was a thriving young adult in the prime of her life with so many years ahead of her. Suyin, had already seen that time of her life come and go. She patiently waited for the day Kuvira would move on and find someone else. The relationship between them existed on borrowed time. "How long will it last?" She asked herself the inevitable question, not meaning to be heard; but the Firelord caught it and set a hand on Suyin's shoulder.

"That's something you should ask her," Izumi said in a softened tone; she could see just how deeply the matriarch had fallen for the guard; it was written all over her face.

Growing up with Suyin, she watched as her friend's relationships changed over the years. Izumi remembered when she had first met Bataar as a young architect. The love between them seemed to do nothing but grow. But now, Suyin was going against her own morals of loyalty for a guard she had never heard of. What was it about Kuvira that made Suyin willing to risk everything she had worked for?

A knock at the door tore both women away from their thoughts.

"You may enter," The Firelord said as she moved to the middle of the room looking towards the door.

"Firelord," the man bowed as he opened the door; never once looking up to meet her gaze. "You should probably come back to inner chamber. Sara and the other guard are not getting along."

The two women shared a look of confusion, and before the Firelord could dismiss the man Suyin was already heading out the door with Izumi trailing behind her. The servant stood alone by the door, having not been dismissed. Turning slightly half-way down the hall, the Firelord held up a hand "Oh, you're dismissed." She said with a wave as the servant bowed once more before walking away from the office door.

"What do you think he meant by 'not getting along'?" Suyin said.

"I don't know; but he didn't seem agitated, so maybe it's nothing." The Firelord said trying to ease the worry on Suyin's face as they got closer to the inner chamber. Upon approaching the doors the Firelord stopped, Suyin doing the same.

They didn't hear any yelling or crashing of objects, just silence. A heavy wave of anxiety passed through Suyin as her heart rate increased, preparing her for the sight she would find on the opposite side of the door. Gripping the handle, the Firelord looked at Suyin with uncertainty before squeezing the latch and pushing it open.

**Authors note: So I guess I'll stop here. I decided to cut it up into two parts because I'm not super happy with the next one (it needs some work and so does this one .lol). But as usual tell me what you think. ;) **


	3. The Reunion

_Previously:_

_Gripping the handle, the Firelord looked at Suyin with uncertainty before squeezing the latch and pushing it open._

**An Unexpected Reunion Part 3**

'Not getting along' was an understatement to say the lease, as both women's eyes were drawn to the scene before them.

"You Bitch." Kuvira slammed the other woman against the wall with an unforgiving amount of force, her forearm pressed against Sara's throat. Digesting the scene before her, Suyin's eyes widened as she noticed the blood covering Kuvira's nose and the knuckles of her hand; the older woman in a similar state.

"I remember what this was" Kuvira said, bending the blade from its sheath on the table into her free hand. "I might have been a kid but, I wasn't as stupid as you thought." Sara silently looked down into the guards eyes, listening to her speak. "I know you've taken countless lives …and you should've burned with them in hell a long time ago," Kuvira growled; a murderous fire overtaking her eyes as she used her metal bending to sharpen the blade in her hand, pointing it directly under the woman's chest. "The only person you really should've killed…was yourself."

Suyin gasped as she heard Kuvira's last words. The person she knew wasn't present in that moment; someone else had taken control, someone she didn't recognize.

"STOP IT," Suyin yelled metalbending the blade from Kuvira's grasp. The guard's head rapidly turned towards Suyin, her green eyes almost looking black as she stared with a menacing glare. Kuvira had never looked at her like that, and for a moment she was actually scared; not of Kuvira, but of whomever this was.

Ignoring the order, Kuvira turned back to Sara tightening her hold, as she lifted the woman from her feet.

"KUVIRA, STOP IT." Suyin walked over, forcefully yanking the guard's face towards her, taken aback at the sight of Kuvira's crooked nose. "Stop it." She repeated in a softer tone, trying to bring _her_ Kuvira back.

Kuvira's jaw clenched as she turned to the other woman, giving her one last forceful push against the wall before letting her go. With heavy footsteps she stormed past Suyin and out of the room.

After watching Kuvira leave, Suyin turned to the woman now sitting on the floor laughing as she wiped the blood from her own face. The laughter only served to anger Suyin more as she stepped closer to the woman, hovering over her with narrowed eyes. "Did you hit her?" The answer to that question was obvious, but she wanted to hear it from the woman's mouth.

"You've sure got her well-trained; broken like a caged animal." The woman below her held a tone of amusement with a trace of disgust in her voice. "And to be fair…she hit me first; I just defended myself." Sara said, closing her eyes. And as she leaned her head against the wall, her mouth pulled up into the same evil smile Suyin had seen earlier.

"Kuvira is _not_ an animal." Suyin said as the woman scoffed. "I know you did something to her; she would never randomly attack someone like that."

Sara opened her eyes to look up at Suyin. "Maybe, you don't know her as well as you think you do."

Suyin slowly moved closer until her foot rested beside the other woman's hand. "Just who the _hell _are you?" she said, her voice slipping into a dangerous tone.

"Well you already got my name," Sara said, getting up off the floor as she dusted herself off before looking Suyin directly in the eye. "But if you're asking what my affiliation is to your guard …you might want to ask her; I wouldn't want to give away private family details now."

She grinned at Suyin who stepped closer, getting a good look at the woman's face for the first time. Amidst the blood, in hardened lines present on her face, Suyin could see Kuvira's eyes, her nose, and her mouth set in that same expression she knew all too well.

"Are you going to stare at me forever?" Sara smirked, "I must be more attractive than I thought." Her words fell on deaf ears as the Matriarch tried to make sense of her thoughts.

'_Maybe she's her sister; NO…she's at least Lin's age'_ her eyes widened and darted to the ground as realization came upon her. "Are you her mother?"

Sara looked at Suyin and smirked, "I haven't been called _that_ in a long time, but technically…sure, you could say that." Her voice carried little concern as she watched Suyin walk over to the sitting area.

Sara's eyes squinted. There was an edge to Suyin; something that just felt off about her, and that's what intrigued her the most. But for now, she decided to leave it alone.

Taking a seat, the matriarch rested her elbows on her knees as she stared out the doorway through which Kuvira had left.

"You never told me you had a daughter." Sara's face grew serious as she listened to the Fire Lord speak.

"There were reasons for that."

"Kuvira told me her parents died a long time ago." Suyin said, as her eyes shifted down to the table in front of her. Here was the person who had given birth to the woman she loved, and she had to be only about four or five years older than herself. That thought alone was enough to put Suyin in a very awkward place.

"Hmm…" Sara looked over to the door. "Well I guess I can't blame her for not wanting any attachment to me" She said with a grim smile.

"Neither can I" Suyin shot back, looking up at Sara with a furrowed brow as her maternal instincts began to kick in. "You're not supposed to hit your own kids."

The Fire Lord watched Sara's eyes narrow as she stared out the doorway. In her mind, Izumi desperately begged for Suyin not to push the woman too far, she knew what Sara was capable of; however, she also knew what Suyin was capable of, and hoped the two wouldn't come to killing each other.

Sara turned away from the door and walked over to Suyin with slow steps. "Do you have kids?" She looked down on the matriarch sitting on the couch, who readied herself for any attack the woman might pull.

Cautiously looking over Sara as the woman stopped on the other side of the table; Suyin thought about her answer before she spoke. "Yes." There wasn't any point in lying. Suyin had a feeling that Sara wasn't the type to rely on the spoken word alone for truth; she was the type to use the eyes of the victim - who was unlucky enough to be questioned by her - to give her the most reliable answer.

Sara's mouth broke into a smile; but there was still a dead look of indifference that didn't leave her eyes. "Then you can just call that tough love."

"You BROKE her nose." Suyin said, trying to maintain her rising anger. _'How was this woman able to justify the words coming out of her mouth?'_ She thought, shifting her eyes down.

But, it was what she said next that threw Suyin over the edge.

"It'll heal." Sara said with a nonchalant shrug.

At this, Suyin stood up and swiftly walked over to the woman, grabbing her by the collar as she rammed her up against the wall. She could feel the blood rushing through her veins, as she stared into those bright red eyes challenging her to make the next move. This woman was not only a monster of a person, but a monster of a parent as well.

"Suyin" The Fire Lord's soft voice cut in, assuaging the matriarch from her actions with a knowing look. Now that she knew about Suyin's relationship with Kuvira, she was able to understand the reasons behind her friend's anger. Although, the extent to which Suyin was willing to go to protect and defend Kuvira still surprised her. _'This guard must be special'_ she thought as her eyes glanced at Sara.

Seeing how absent as mother Sara was to Kuvira made the Fire Lord wonder, _'Was Kuvira searching for a mother in Suyin, only to find a lover instead?'_

Suyin closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she let go of the other woman. There was silence as Sara watched Suyin walk away towards the door.

"You care an awful lot about her for her just being one of your guards." Sara said, her words stopping the matriarch half way to the door.

The Fire Lord watched as her friend looked down to the ground with narrowed eyes before turning her head to speak over her shoulder. "And you, care nothing about her…you might as well have been dead…I don't even want to know what she went through with _you_ as a parent."

The roles reversed as Sara walked over to Suyin with a rapid pace; grabbing the matriarch as her other hand was set ablaze by fire. "DON'T TALK TO ME LIKE I DON'T KNOW MY OWN CHILD." Sara gripped the fabric of Suyin's collar tighter as her eyes grew wide with rage. "What are _you_ to her anyways?"

Her deep voice sent chills through Suyin, but she didn't give in to show her unease; even as Sara's thumb started to push into her throat. Instead, she stared back into her eyes, but this time there was something different about them. Suyin smirked, so…she had hit a nerve. Maybe this woman did care about Kuvira a lot more than she was letting on; but then why was she doing so much to suppress that?

The Fire Lord watched as the tension between the two grew, unsure of what actions to take. But she knew Sara wouldn't kill Suyin; at least not in her presence.

"You _don't_ know her." Suyin said, using a hand to shove the woman away from her before leaving the room.

"Wh-" Sara's eyes glowed with fury as she lunged towards the doorway only to be held back by a hand gripping her arm.

"Sara." The Fire Lord looked at her sternly "Let it go." Sara turned to look at the Fire Lord with hate in her eyes. She was just as much of a trained guard dog as Kuvira, except her handler was the Fire Lord.

"Who does she think she is?"

"Calm down," The Fire Lord said letting her go. "She's a lot more important to Kuvira than you know. Hurting her would only make things worse." Watching confusion overtake Sara's face, The Fire Lord left her to ponder her words as she went to find Suyin.

* * *

><p>Walking down the hallway, the Fire Lord spotted Suyin standing with her back against the wall and her arms crossed in front of her. She still had the angry look on her face as Izumi approached her, thinking of a way to defuse the situation.<p>

"Well that escalated quickly." The Fire Lord said looking at Suyin, only to be met with silence as the other woman stared straight ahead. Izumi sighed, moving to lean against the wall next to Suyin. She could only imagine the battle of conflicting thoughts running through her friend's mind in the present moment.

The silence was broken as Suyin sighed, looking over to Izumi. "Do you have something I can clean her up with?"

"Yeah, let me see." Izumi said before leaving Suyin with her thoughts once again. This was certainly not how she had expected this day to go. First, she confesses her love for a twenty-three year old to the Fire Lord. And now, after a very tumultuous meeting of Kuvira's mother -who she previously thought was dead- her mind was starting to shut down; this was just too much in one day.

She closed her eyes, breathing in slowly. After they got back to Zaofu, she could rest.

"Here."

Suyin hastily opened her eyes, startled at the Fire Lord's voice. Looking at Izumi's hands she saw a couple of towels and a bowl of water.

"Yeah, that should be good enough." Suyin pushed herself off the wall before taking the items into one of her hands. She looked back up at Izumi and smiled "Thanks."

The Fire Lord nodded silently accepting the gratitude. "I think she headed out to the courtyard." Izumi said, putting a hand on Suyin's shoulder. The matriarch noticed her friend's face change to a look of understanding as she smiled.

"Oh, do you have a healer? She's going to need one after I set her nose…" Suyin said, jarring them from the moment as the Fire Lord gave her an odd look of disbelief. "Yes, I'm going to attempt it…" She pointed a finger at Izumi "…so don't even look at me like that."

Izumi sighed as she closed her eyes raising her eyebrows. "Well, you are probably the best to do it anyway…" She opened her eyes giving Suyin a suggestive look. "…Since, you know her _so_ well."

Getting the message, Suyin smiled pushing the Firelord's shoulder with her free hand, giving her a fake glare as Izumi started to laugh; they _still_ acted like teenagers sometimes.

Izumi looked down briefly, controlling her laughter as she pushed her glasses back into place. "But sure, I'll find a healer…might need it after you break her nose again."

Suyin smiled again. Since their childhood she had never been able to stay angry – or serious for that matter – with Izumi around; and that was one of the greatest things about her best friend.

Shaking her head at the Firelord, she turned to walk in the direction of the courtyard.

* * *

><p>The hot wind blew in her face as Suyin let her eyes search for Kuvira; but the guard was nowhere to be found. Letting her eyes graze the ground, she caught small drops of blood stained to the smooth grey pavement. Following the trail, she made her way through one of the gardens before spotting the guard sitting hunched over on a ledge under a tree, with a hand resting over her eyes.<p>

Suyin stopped, looking at Kuvira as she let out the breath she had been holding; it wasn't easy for her to see Kuvira this distressed.

Resuming her walk, she sighed as she inched closer to the guard.

"Hey." was the only thing she said alerting the guard of her presence, as she slowly ran her hand up to Kuvira's shoulder; feeling her tense through the exposed fabric between the metal plates of the uniform. Kuvira's head turned in Suyin's direction as her hand still shaded her eyes.

As Suyin looked at Kuvira's face she saw the extent of the damage to the guard's nose for the first time. The blood had started to dry as her nose began to bruise colors of red and blue. Sighing, Suyin put the towels down on the ledge next Kuvira before making her way in front of the guard. She removed Kuvira's hand with gentle fingers as she lifted her head._ 'Oh spirits'_ this was going to be painful.

Suyin swallowed as her eyes set upon Kuvira's crooked nose. "I'm not going to lie, this is going to hurt." She said, taking the guard's face into her hands as their eyes connected. She let out a shaky breath, placing her hands on either side of Kuvira's nose. "OK."

"Why are _you_ nervous?" Kuvira asked raising an eyebrow as a reassuring smile came across her face.

"Oh, maybe because I know this is going to hurt you." She looked into the guards eyes before focusing back to Kuvira's nose. "And…I have one shot to get this right."

"What?" Kuvira lightly grabbed one of Suyin's hands as she looked at the woman with widened eyes.

"Yeah if I mess up, your nose will be crooked forever, so let me focus." Suyin smiled and looked back at the nose before her as the guard put her hand down. "I've broken my nose before." She said, her eyes briefly meeting Kuvira's.

The guard smiled "How?" bringing her thumb up to flick Suyin's nose; laughing softly at the other woman's reaction.

"Stop it, you better let me focus; or else you're going to end up with a messed up nose." She grinned, stealing one last look at Kuvira before trying to concentrate.

"Well, how did it happen?" Kuvira asked again with more curiosity.

Deciding it was best to distract her from the impending pain, Suyin started her story while carefully lining up her fingers.

"Well, Lin and I were sparring; and being the idiot competitive kids we were…"

'_Here goes nothing'_ Suyin gripped Kuvira's nose, swiftly moving it to the center.

The guard cried out in pain as she doubled over, covering her nose with her hands as fresh blood seeped out between her fingers. Suyin put a hand on the back of the guard's neck, caressing the soft skin as she listened to Kuvira take deep breaths. "Sorry about that."

Grabbing one of the damp towels, Suyin removed Kuvira's hands, replacing them with the towel as she pushed her back up. Tilting Kuvira's head back, she could see the guard's eyes watering from the pain. "...we got mad at each other and Lin threw a rock at my face." Suyin said, holding the towel to the guard's nose as she waited for the bleeding to stop. "And that's how my nose was broken."

After blinking a few times, Kuvira looked down at Suyin, still feeling the throbbing pain. "That was cruel."

Suyin laughed "Actually that was merciful…would you have rather I dragged it out with counting or something?" she said as a smug look came across her face. "Plus, I know from experience that it's better to get the painful part out of the way when you're distracted." She smiled, still holding Kuvira's nose as she placed the other towel into the guard's bloodied hands. "Here, clean off your hands."

After a few minutes of silence, Suyin removed the towel. The bleeding had stopped but the bruising was still there. _'The healer should be able to clear that up; at least her nose is starting to look normal again.' _Suyin thought, as she gently cleaned off the remaining blood.

"I love you, you know that right?"

Suyin froze "…I think that's good enough…until the healer takes a look at you." Placing a hand on Kuvira's thigh, she looked down, lost in the soft feel of the guard's uniform.

She loved her too, but saying it felt like a lie.

When the day came for them to separate, she didn't want to hear Kuvira say that she used her and never loved her to begin with. Tears began to surface in her eyes at that thought. Why couldn't she have met Kuvira in a different time and reality where she was younger; without the responsibilities of motherhood and running a city working against them?

She wanted to love Kuvira in a place where society wouldn't look down on them. But knowing she couldn't change the circumstances of time, she was grateful to even be standing in front of the guard now.

Kuvira looked at Suyin's saddened face. She had an idea about what made Suyin always hesitate every time she told her she loved her. A trace of guilt came over her as she took Suyin's face into her hands, and pulled her closer. She wanted to kiss her, but knew she couldn't; it wouldn't have been a wise move considering where they were.

Resting her chin on the top of Suyin's head, she slowly closed her eyes, feeling the wind blow across her face. She never would have thought that what started out as a teenage crush, would years later be reciprocated in a love affair. Now they were in too deep to let each other go, and Kuvira knew it was hard for the other woman to deal with.

A throat cleared to the side of the couple.

Realizing they had been caught, both froze with widened eyes. And as Suyin broke from her grasp, Kuvira turned her head to see the Fire Lord standing with her hands behind her back.

Izumi stared at Kuvira. Now she could see Sara in her face…that's why she looked so familiar to her before.

The guard looked at the Fire Lord for a few more moments before she turned her head in the other direction, gazing out at nothing as she listened to Suyin speak.

"Oh, it's just you" The matriarch mentally breathed a sigh of relief as she put her hand on the ledge next to Kuvira, stepping between the guard and the Fire Lord.

"Yeah, just me." Izumi said, giving a small laugh and a joking smile.

Suyin heard the light shift of fabric as she turned her head to see Kuvira's confused eyes darting back and forth between them, before they finally connected with her own. Looking into Kuvira's eyes, she saw the silent questions of why? and how?

Suyin lifted her hand, placing it on Kuvira's forearm. "Don't be mad at me, but…I told her about us."

* * *

><p><strong>Authors note:<strong>

**Well there you go…this was supposed to be out Friday but…life got in the way (car got towed etc. lol) Personally, I think this story is sort of starting to turn into 'The Young and the Restless: Legend of Korra Edition'; but if you still like it, I'll continue it. .lol.**


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